I often have to remind myself to look up when I'm exploring a city. But sometimes a city's best kept secrets are hidden underground. For two years I was living right above an important part of London history: the deep-level shelters at Clapham South. Built during...

There was one building that I really wanted to visit during the Open House London weekend: The Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Last year I'd seen Kelly share pictures of the building on her blog and it looked amazing. Since I had a million other things to...

Now that's an entrance designed to impress! Even though the history of Eltham Palace goes back centuries (it was an important royal residence between the 14th and 16th century), it were the millionaires Stephen and Virginia Courtauld who in the 1930s turned it into...

Until recently the only way I knew Osterley was as one of the many stops on the Piccadilly line to Heathrow. It's when you know you're not in zone 1 or 2 anymore because you're above the ground (and can use your phone). I never thought any of these stops would be...

Once upon a time there was a politician / writer - also known for being the son of Britain's first Prime Minister - who wanted to build a summer villa in London. Not just any villa, but a Gothic castle that would be a theatrical experience to visit. Sir...

I was not going to miss it this year! The first time I heard about it – I had just moved to London – it was after the fact. The next year I had already booked a trip to Madrid. So no, no matter what, I would not miss it this year. For someone who wishes there would be such a thing as a leisurely bike ride in London but at the same time loves everything else that comes with living in this city – including all its quirkiness – what better event to attend than The Tweed Run?

Extravagant royal parties and the execution of one of its hosts. That’s basically what the Banqueting House in central London is known for. Since I’m a sucker for a happy ending, I wasn’t really interested in the death part, but more in seeing where the Stuarts used to party like it’s 1699.

Old houses fascinate me. I wouldn’t necessarily want to live in one, but I love to visit them and pretend for a moment that I do. Walking down the grand staircase, reading a book in front of the fireplace in a library filled with books… It’s not often that you can visit and walk around houses like this.

But for only three months a year you can at 2 Temple Place, just outside Temple Station. It’s the most amazing experience and now tops my list of favorite hidden gems in the city. How could I not have known about this place?!

I realize that I’ve been focussing more on the ‘where to eat’ than the ‘what to do’ in London. What can I say? I’m one of those people who are always hungry. Anyway, this weekend I felt I needed to make more of an effort and cross some cultural things of my huge London to-do list. Starting with the Churchill War Rooms. Last week marked the 50th anniversary of Winston Churchill’s death, so the timing couldn’t be more perfect.

What year did I just walk into? I was expecting to see 17th century artwork, not real people walking around as if they had just stepped out of a painting. What I learned later on was that they were hosting a special event to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the...

Isn't it interesting to see how people - of all ages - are drawn to water? Turn on a fountain in the middle of the city on a summer's day and they'll be tempted to jump in. This water installation at the South Bank by Danish artist Jeppe Hein is called...

Someone clearly wasn't paying attention when deciding how to name this house in Hackney. Thomas Sutton, founder of the Charterhouse school (a boarding school in Surrey) was the neighbor, but never lived in the house named after him. So what makes Sutton House worth a...

The British Library is not just like any other library. It has treasures! And good ones too. They're so good that unfortunately you're not allowed to take photos of them. But take my word for it: it's worth the visit. As the national library of the United Kingdom, the...

In my one year in London I still haven't spotted any 'real' celebrities. Which you'd think shouldn't be that difficult. After all, this city has so many of them. The problem is: they keep moving around! And since I have better things to do than chasing them in my free...